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OCM Progress: Day 7

Image via: Mommypotomas

I've been doing the oil cleansing method for a full week now. Every night faithfully, I "wash" my face with oil. I use a combination of grapeseed, sweet almond and castor oils. Previously I said I would stay away from castor oil, but after I read up on the benefits, I had to at least give it a try.

I can't say enough how pleased I am with the progress of my acne.  By day 3, my skin even though the acne was still present and out and and proud looked great. I could tell a big difference. My skin just looked more supple and "alive".

When I started, I didn't know what to expect. There are lots of mixed results. And putting oil on cystic acne? Seems counter-intuitive. But as I said in a previous post, the traditional acne medications I feel are too harsh and do worse for your skin and body in the long run. This most recent acne flair up was horrible. They just kept coming and coming. I am so done with acne, like OVER it!  So I read about using grapeseed oil and then stumbled across the oil cleansing method and here I am.

Again, my acne is still there but it looks so much better. Now, I made a few other changes in my diet and taking supplements that probably also helped.  I realize that my favs...diary, red meat are not good for my acne or my overall health. Yes, diary and red meat has some good things in them...but the hormones mainly help to trigger my acne.  So I have to limit these foods. I do eat them...in moderation.

My acne has made a 60 percent improvement, which his HUGE!! In just 7 days. Again, I made major changes I will break down what I did below. 3 main categories I believe made a difference, they are: New Skincare Routine, Diet and Exercise, Supplements.

New Skin Care Routine

1. OCM:
   At night, I apply a mix of castor, grapeseed and almond oils. I massage in and leave on for about five minutes. I rinse off with warm water and cloth, every other night I'll wet a cloth with warm water and let it sit on face for a few seconds before I take off the oil. I then follow with either a grapeseed oil as a moisturizer or jojoba oil.  I also about 3x over the past week dabbed additional castor oil directly on the pimples before I went to bed (this made a big difference it seemed to help them accelerate drying up).  I do swipe the oil over my eyelid and under my eye as well (just the grapeseed and jojoba oils).
2. Exfoliate:
   I still exfoliate to help the dead skin cells wash away and to renew. I alternate every other night with a facial (clay) mask and on the other nights I use a facial scrub.  I let the mask sit on my face up to 30 minutes and the facial scrub about 10 minutes.
3. Morning:
   Each morning I wash my face with an Aveeno cleanser and use jojoba oil as a moisturizer.

Diet and Exercise

I think identifying what acne triggers are in your diet is super important. Many of us have food allergies and don't even know it! I believe that diary in large amounts triggers my acne...as does red meat. Here are the changes I've made:

1. Eliminated red meat and diary consumption about 75%
2. Drink 5-8 bottles of water daily (every day, faithfully)
3. Added about 10 percent more green leafy vegetables to diet (need to do better with this!)
4. Workout 4-6 days a week. Weight and cardio training  I slacked working out during the summer...time to get back on it!

Supplements

I know I wasn't getting all the nutrients I need to due to poor eating habits. So I researched supplements that help improve skin and the underlying causes of acne as well as supplements to help me get the vitamins and minerals I wasn't. Here is what I take daily:

1. 2 fish oil gel pills
2. 1 vitamin A gel pill
3. 1 probiotic pill
4. 1 multi-vitamin

I also have been taking a natural colon cleanser to start cleansing out my internal system...which is another cause of acne as well.  

The bad news is that my acne will scar...it always does. The good news is that as the acne begin to heal, the scarring is looking to be less and less.  Any cystic acne sufferer will attest to how much of a blessing this is! For the scarring I am reading more about the benefits of raw honey in aiding healing of acne scars.  I need to get raw honey or purchase Manuka honey, which has seemed to give many people great results.

I plan to stick to the same plan next week. I must admit I am apprehensive. Some people said the OCM method worked great for them until the second week :-/  I hope I continue to get great results.  

The OCM DAY 3

Today is the 3rd day of trying the OCM.  I do a 50/50 mix of grapeseed and sweet almond oils.
I think tonight before I goto bed I will dab castor oil directly on my pimples. I didn't think castor oil would be good for my skin, but I read a lot about people having good results. So I'll try to the overnight method and wash it off in the morning.

My current results with the OCM is OK.  I am breaking out still, pimples haven't left but my skin overall looks way better, not as dry.  I am hoping that my acne begins to regress in a week or two.

I am eliminating diary from my diet and continuing with the elimination of all meat except fish. I may have one meal that breaks the rules but for the most part I'm done.  I also started taking fish oil supplements and a multi-vitamin.

I will win this acne battle...soon!

I will update again on Day 6.

The OCM Day 1

So after my revelation that grapeseed oil works for acne, like very bad acne. I stumbled across the world of OCM or the Oil Cleansing Method.

Essetinally, the OCM allows you to cleanse your face using oil. The premise is that acne prone skin that is oily is actually very dry skin hence why the skin over compensates by producing excess oil causing acne so by cleansing with oil...like dissolves like, so they say.

There are a lot of oils you can use, some great some not so great. But of course, what works for one may not work for another.

I tried the method today with Sweet Almond Oil. I've used it before (not on my face) and very much like the properties and how it made my skin feel.

I wet my face with warm water, massaged in the almond oil for about 2 minutes and used a warm rag to take the oil off. My face was a bit dry after, so I added more almond oil to moisturize.

I will try a mix of almond and grapeseed oil tomorrow. I also read that just letting the oil sit on your face for a bit before washing off helps purge the pores.

We shall see.

Ever try this method? Let me know your results!

It's Baaaaack! My Acne That Is...

My face has become a gathering spot for cysts. About 2-3 weeks ago, the cysts started on my jawline (never had acne there before) and just blew up to the rest of my face.

--Sigh--

If you remember my previous post about my struggle with cystic acne, you know that I am no longer trying the "drugs" the docs prescribe nor strong acne medications that may take away the acne but wreck havoc on your skin overall.  If you missed that post go here to read about my continuing battle with acne.

And not only is horrible to look at, it hurts!

I must admit I did add a lot of diary and red meat to my diet. Not sure if that triggered it but geez, can a girl live a little? Apparently not with acne.

What's next?

I've learned that grapeseed oil can be a miracle cure for cystic acne sufferers like myself. I'm headed to the store to get some tomorrow.

I hope this works...I'm 33...why do I still deal with this? This is craaaazzzzy!!!

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